Hinge.



PATENTED MAR. 2l, 1905.

R. G. WINTER.

HINGE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 7, 1904.

:1. sums-SHEET 1;

Qua/fw No. 785,143. PATENTED MAR. 2l, 1905. v R. G. WINTER.

v HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7. 1904.

ivo. 785,143.

UNITED STATES IFI-atente@ Maren 2i, 1905.

RUDOLPH G. WINTER, OF MILWAUKEE, VVISOONSIN.

HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,143, dated March21, 1905. s

Application filed May 7, 1904. Serial No. 206,791.

To @ZZ zul/1,0771, t may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH G. WINTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Milwaukee, in thecounty of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hinges; `and I dohereby dec-lare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable-others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to automatic cam-acting hinges, or, inother words, to those which close or move into predetermined positionsunder the action of gravity and without the use of springs. In the use'of hinges of this character the door or swinging member must ofnecessity rise as it is swung away from its closed position. One featureof my present invention is directed to an arrangement of the cooperatingcam-surfaces of the hinge members, so that the door or swinging memberwill rise but very slightly until after it has been swung into aposition clear of the cooperating door casing or frame, but willthereafter rise very rapidly and under increased tendency to close.

The invention consists of the novel devices and vcombinations of devicesand construction of parts hereinafter described, and defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, likecharacters indicate p like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation showing a hinge designed inaccordance with my invention and showing a portion of adoor and of adoor-casing to which the hinge is applied, the said door being in aclosed position. Fig. 2 is a section on the line m2 :r2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a plan view of the hinge shown in Fig. 1, the same being shown asremoved from working position. Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1,but showing the door swung partly open. Fig. 5 is a transverse verticalsection on the 'line mi m5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hingeremoved from working position, the parts thereof being in the positionillustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a View corresponding to Fig. 4,but showing the door swung farther open. Fig. 8 is a transverse verticalsection on the line m8 fvg of Fig. 7, and Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectionon the line of Fig. 7. l

rIhe numeral 1 indicates a door-casing, and the numeral 2 a door, whichdoor is supported from said casing by two or more hinges constructed inaccordance with my invention and of which in the drawings only one isshown.

The numerals 3 and 4 indicate the coperating hinge members, the formerof which is secured to the casingand the latter of which is secured tothe door. As shown, the hinge member 3 is provided with a pair oflaterallyprojecting hinge-lugs 5, while the member 4 is provided with acentrally-located single lug 6, which works between the lugs 5. Ahingebolt 7, passed through the lugs 5 and 6, affords a pivot for thehinge member 4 and the door 2 and permits limited vertical' movementsthereof.

The lower hinge-lug 5 is formed with a winding cam-surface 8 9, which atits lower extremity is slightly but quite abruptly cut downward at 10.The upper extremity of this camsurface 8 9 extends to a reversecam-surface 11. rIhe cam-lug 6 of the hinge member 4 is formed with adepending cam-lug 12, which is formed with cam-surfaces 13, 14, and 15.The portion 9 of the cam-surface 8 9 is much steeper than the portion 8.The cam-surface 14 of the cam-lug 12 has the same curve as the saidcam-surface 9; but when the hinge stands in a position to close thedoor, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, said cam-surfaces 9 and 14 are heldout of engagement by the engagement of the cam-nosed section 13 with thelower portion of the cam-surface 8. (See particularly Fig. 2.) Again, byreference particularly to Fig. 1 it will be noted that when the door isclosed a portion of the cam-nose 13 overlies the depressed section 10 ofthe hub 5, so that the door is supported entirely by the cam-surface 8and the entire weight of the door is rendered effective to hold the doorclosed. Furthermore, in view of this depression 10 wear of the surface 8will not prevent this result.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 the door is shown as opened but slightly, and hencehas been raised but slightly, and by reference to Fig. 5 it IOO will benoted that the cam-nose 13 still engages with the cam-surface 8 and thatthe cam-surface 14 has not been yet brought into contact with thecam-surface 9. v

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 the door is shown as turned open far enough tocarry its inner corner beyond the casing, and b y reference to Fig. 8 itwill be noted that in this position of the parts the cam-surface 14 hasbeen brought into engagement with the cam-surface 9, so that underfurther opening movement ofthe door thyese relatively steep engagedcam-surfaces will cause the door to rise rapidly. When the door has beenswung nearly to its extreme open position, the cam-nose 13 of thehingelug 6 will be carried into engagement with the reverse cam-surface11 of the lower lug 5, and this engagement will tend to swing the doorto its extreme open position, and hence, of course, to hold the door inits open position until force is applied thereto.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the door is causedto rise slowly until after it has moved ,outward far enough to clear thedoor casing or frame and is thereafter caused to raise a relativelyrapid rate of speed, and, furthermore, it is evident that the door maybe swung open quite freely until the cam-surfaces 14 and 9 are broughtinto engagement and that under further opening movements the tendency ofthe door to close is materially increased. This accelerated tendency ofthe door to close under opening movements among other things has theeffect of preventing the door from being slammed into an open positionand under a closing movement of the door starts the door with arelatively great force, which force gradually diminishes as the doorreaches the closed position. This action is highly important.

As the door closely approaches the limit of its extreme opening movementthe cam-nose 13 engages with the upper position of the cam-surface 9.

The hinge described, it will of course be understood, is capable ofmodification within the scope of my invention as herein set forth andclaimed. The cam-surfaces of the hingelugs instead of being formeddirectly on integral parts of the hinge members may be formed onseparable parts, as shown in my prior application, Serial No. 184,026,filed December7, 1903,entitled Hinges Again,

the said novel cam-surfaces may be applied to double hinges or hingesadapting the door to swing in either of two directions, which type ofhinges is also disclosed in my said prior application. Furthermore, thehinge lugs may be offset from the sides of the door in dierent Ways.Other modifications will suggest themselves in different applications ofthe hinge.

What Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

position of thehinge, and hold the cam-sury faces 9 and 14 out ofcontact, but which camsurfaces 9 and 14 are brought into engagement bymovement of the hinge members on their pivot, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a gravity-actuated hinge, the combination with a pair of hingemembers, the one having perforated lugs 5, and the other having aperforated lug 6 connected by a bolt 7,

.one of said lugs 5 having the cam-surfaces 8 9 and 11, and depression10, and the said lug 6 having the cam-nose 13, cam-surface 14 andcam-surface 15, said nose 13 and cam-surface 8 adapted to normallyengage and hold said cam-surfaces 9 and 14 out of contact, said surfaces9 and 14 being engageable by a pivotal movement of one hinge member withrcspect to the other, and said cam-surfaces 11 and 15 being engageablebyan extreme pivotal movement of one of the said hinge niembers,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLPH G. WINTER. Witnesses:

R. C. MABEY, F. D. MERCHANT.

